Post-traumatic stress disorder in patients treated for schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study in the psychiatric department of Oujda, Morocco

Abstract

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general population is unavoidable and it seems that people who are suffering from severe psychiatric disorders especially schizophrenia, are more vulnerable to traumatic exposure and consequently to post traumatic stress disorder. The present work aims at determining the prevalence and the characteristics of the association between schizophrenia and PTSD since it isn't well known in Morocco. Materials and methodsWe conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study over a period of three months from October 2019 to December 2019 at the Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Diseases of the University Hospital Center Mohammed VI of Oujda. ResultsThe number of patients included in our study was 187 and the majority of them were male with a percentage of 76%. Several variables were evaluated. The prevalence of PTSD in the patients included in our study is 14%. In addition, the statistically significant variables were the presence of a stressful event (p = 0,001), the positive schizophrenia symptom score (PANSS P) (p = 0,031), the negative schizophrenia symptom score (PANSS N) (p = 0,005), the general schizophrenia symptom score (PANSS G) (p = 0,021), suicide risk (p < 0,001), and the presence of depression (p = 0,004). ConclusionThe comorbidity schizophrenia-PTSD exists with non-negligible prevalence. The risks of non-diagnosis of this comorbidity could lead to inappropriate treatments, a multiplication of care with no notable clinical improvement, poor therapeutic compliance and the alteration in the patients’ quality of life.